Darkness Rising
by Preybird
Summary: New forces threaten the lands of the humans, and the return of an insidious threat. However the humans are not without a few tricks of their own, and the battle intensifies as the Shadow Crystals grow in power and lure more to the realm. But the fate of humanity lies not with the Generals, but with the rogues, scoundrels and mercenaries.
1. Scent of a Woman

**Scent of a Woman**

She was beautiful.

Markus Torgadden, the governor of Windspire, ran his hand gently through the long blond hair of the woman who was sharing his bed. She smiled gently as she took his hand and kissed it. For two weeks she had been his lover, and every single night he had savoured her perfect form.

Two months ago, she had joined his staff as a maid after moving here from some small village in Layar, and she had immediately caught Markus' attention. In reality, she had caught the attention of every man in the building, but Markus ensured that he was the only one competing for her affections, using his position to make sure no one dared get in his way. So the other men watched from afar as he courted her, and eventually succeeded in bringing her to his bed.

"Are you alright dearest?" She asked, stroking his torso.

Markus smiled. "I'm fine Alana." He replied. "I'm just thinking about us."

Alana smiled again, that smile that could melt butter and make a man do whatever she desired. In fact everything about her was simply intoxicating, and Markus could not believe he had her.

"Us?" She asked simply.

"How we met my dear, and everything I had to do to win your affections." Markus replied as he ran his hand down her leg. "It was worth it."

Alana giggled. "It was dearest. I'm so glad to be here with you tonight."

Markus' smile faded a little. "Me too. I just wish I didn't have to leave for this treasury meeting."

Alana propped herself up on her elbow, and the sheet fell away revealing her breasts. Markus had to fight to stop focussing on them. "Why so late?" She asked.

"Unfortunately Windspire has been hit hard with the war. We're low on funds and with so many of our population on the front lines, we're not bringing in the income from taxes and trade."

Alana leaned forward and kissed his neck as he was speaking. "That's sounds bad dearest, you must be really stressed." She whispered into his ear.

"It…. Is stressful." He replied. He had to go, but every fibre in his body was telling him to never leave this bed again. "I'm not sure what we're going to do."

Alana's hand began creeping down his stomach as she leaned in further. "Perhaps you should do something with the taxes." She whispered.

Markus looked at her. "That's a…. last resort. We don't want to put the people under more pressure."

"But look at the pressure you're under dearest. It's only fair they share some of the burden in these terrible times." Alana purred, looking down. "In fact, let me help you relieve some pressure now."

* * *

Alana made her way back to the maid's quarters, smiling to herself. She had made poor Markus half an hour late to his meeting, though she was sure he didn't really mind. Her hair was tussled and it was obvious to all what she had been doing these last couple of hours, but she didn't really care about that. Walking past a number of the other staff, she caught scornful looks from the women and lustful looks from the men. There were a number of the men that caught her eye as well, but she'd best be a good little girl and not touch.

Alana finally made it to her room and closed the door behind her. Normally the maids share accommodation, but since becoming Markus' lover she had enjoyed certain privileges and had been assigned her own quarters, complete with ensuite. And ever since that day she'd been scorned by pretty much every woman in the palace. Disrobing again, Alana went to the shower to have a quick wash before bed. The water was warm and comfortable, and Alana smiled. She must be the only maid with a boiler attached to her shower.

Standing under the water she could feel it washing the dirty feeling away, though not completely. She didn't really care about Markus, in fact sometimes sharing his bed made her physically ill, but he had power and influence, and she needed it. Thankfully she could tell she was starting to break him down, and before long he'd be doing whatever she wanted. But she had to admit it was getting harder to keep this up, and silently prayed she wouldn't have to carry on much longer.

Looking down as she scrubbed herself she could see the pool of water at her feet had started to go yellow. She groaned at the thought of having to apply the hair dye again, but it was going to be a job for the morning. Right now she just wanted to get some sleep, so she finished up as quickly as she could and turned off the shower. Stepping out and wrapping a towel around her, Alana stared into the mirror as she dried her hair, removing the last vestiges of hair dye, and revealing the natural dark hair that lay underneath.

As she stared deep into her reflection, Clarissa knew that when this was all done and Windspire belonged to her coven, she would feast like never before.


	2. Daybreak

**Daybreak**

It had been a noble goal, the creation of a singular source of magical power, strong enough to power a city for decades. Lighting was to be powered by magic instead of oil. City defences were to be automated, eternally vigilant golems standing guard and protecting the citizens without need of food, water or rest. Even horses were to be retired; the carts they normally pulled would pull themselves. The city of Ardentus would be an example of the power of the Shadow Crystals and how to harness them to benefit the world.

The city's mages toiled for months on end preparing the ritual, collecting Shadow Crystals, and ensuring that the city was prepared. Scribes and bards from all over the land came to Ardentus to witness the unveiling of the "Shining City". Standing atop the specially constructed tower, one hundred of the most powerful mages of Ardentus gathered around the portal where the magical nexus would be contained. Many hundreds more, mostly acolytes to the masters, were stationed within the tower to lend their power to the ritual. As the masters chanted, the nexus flickered and came to life. It slowly grew in intensity, filling the portal and the hearts of the onlookers with excitement. The lights around the city began to glow, and the crowd in the streets below cheered; a singular voice so loud it could be heard by the mages at the top of the tower. However the cheers were short lived.

The nexus began to push at the edges of the portal, applying more and more pressure to the wards designed to contain it, until they finally succumbed and the nexus burst outward like an exploding sun. The mages on top of the tower were flung over the edge, falling to their death a hundred metres below. The crowds ran, but it was of no use as all those caught out in the open were felled as the magical forces tore apart their bodies and souls. Desperately, the acolytes and remaining mages within the tower attempted to shut down the nexus, and when that failed, concentrated on providing what magical shielding they could to themselves and the people below. But they too fell….

Gorgus stared at his hand. He had been one of the acolytes in the tower of Ardentus when that ill-fated ritual had left it a charnel house. He could no longer actually see his hand; the nexus had robbed him of his sight. However the nexus had also left him with the ability to detect auras and latent magical energy, and his hand glowed as though illuminated from the inside. Shadow Sight, another survivor had called it. It seemed it was an unwanted gift shared by all who had made it out of that disaster alive.

Since that day a year ago, Gorgus had travelled the land with a number of other survivors, looking for a priest or a mage willing or able to restore their vision. They had visited the legendary healer Zhanna Mist and the awe inspiring mage Nishaven, along with a dozen others. However no one seemed to be able to repair the damage and eventually that knowledge nibbled at the sanity of his companions. One by one they took their own lives. Gorgus himself had stood at the cliff face ready to leap, however he had pulled himself back from the brink at the last second. For he realised that death would not only rob him of his sight, but of everything else.

So instead he sat in this backwater pub, staring at a jug of mead he couldn't really see, and resigning himself to a life of half-vision. At least most things gave off some kind of energy he was able to detect, so he wasn't completely invalid. Still, without colour and depth, it was easy to get confused, especially in busy areas. Not to mention he was unable to read unless the text was magical or ordained, thus trapping some power within the letters. Gorgus sighed as he took another swig of the brew.

A gentle hand touched him on the shoulder and he looked up. The figure in his vision was of a woman, and she glowed as brightly as any person he had ever come across. Whoever she was she was a mage of significant power. Her equipment and clothing was enchanted as well, and combined with her natural energy, she was almost as bright as the nexus. "May I sit?" She asked, her voice a soft purr.

"Um, please." Gorgus replied. He looked her over again and from what he could make out, she was wearing a heavy cloak with a long cowl. Considering how warm it was he found this odd, and could only surmise she was concealing herself for some reason. "Can I help you?"

"Well, I think I can help you." The woman replied. "I know what happened to you at Ardentus, and I think I know how to restore your vision."

Gorgus was stunned. No one had ever even claimed to know the extent of his problem, let alone how to fix it. If this woman really could help him….

"What would you have me do?" He asked, holding back his excitement.

The woman leaned forward. "Walk with me, and I'll explain."

* * *

Gorgus struggled to keep up as the woman pushed her way to the outskirts of the town. She seemed in a desperate hurry to get out of the populated areas, and with his limited sight it was very hard to keep up. Once they had moved away from the town centre he was able to keep step with her and she started speaking.

"The accident at Ardentus did more than give you Shadow Sight. It also turned you into a magical amplifier." She began. "Basically any lingering magical power in your vicinity is naturally augmented by your presence. In essence you have become a walking Shadow Crystal."

Gorgus was genuinely surprised at that, he had seen little concrete evidence of this effect, but he had to admit there seemed to be a lot of magical power around since the accident. He had always put it down to the Shadow Sight making him more aware of it. "So, you want me to augment a ritual of yours?"

The woman nodded. "Exactly. You're quite intelligent." She paused before continuing. "I am experimenting with portals, linking cities to allow rapid transit between them. It will have huge benefits for trade, as well as militarily. Unfortunately with so many Crystals going toward the war effort, I am unable to procure enough for my needs. But with your natural ability, you can augment the ones I have to an acceptable power level."

"If you can restore my sight, I will do all that I can to help you." Gorgus replied.

"Thank you." The woman replied. "Our work will have a real impact on the lives of so many."

* * *

With Gorgus now allied to her cause, Majiya could move forward with her plan. She had been searching for a survivor of Ardentus for a long time, and now she finally had one. The promise of restoring Gorgus' sight made him easy to manipulate, and as long as she kept her true agenda hidden there would be no problem keeping him in line until it was too late.


	3. Belly of the Beast

**Belly of the Beast**

"Onward you filthy curs!" Ter Adun roared, pushing his troops ever further into the breach in the ramparts. His army knew full well what happened to those that faltered, and most were more scared of Ter than of the waiting blades of the humans. So his army pressed forward, collapsing on the desperate defenders in a tidal wave of violence and steel.

Kurze leapt at one of the defenders, a conscript no older than sixteen. Far too fast for the poor kid, Kurze easily disarmed and disabled him, before knocking him to the ground. As the boy closed his eyes in fear of the kill strike, Kurze hesitated. The man next to him did not however, Tarick quickly ending the boy's life with a swift strike from his hammer.

"You can't hesitate." He said simply, no malice in his voice, just the burden of a thousand battles. "If you want your paycheck and your life." He then turned and rejoined the battle, taking down three more just like the boy with a single swing.

Kurze sighed as he looked down at the boy's corpse. Tarick was right. They were human mercenaries, deemed traitor by their people and untrustworthy at best by the Shadow army. He could not show any weakness, or Ter Adun would show him the pointy end of his sword.

So without another thought, he leapt back into the fray.

* * *

The battle had been swift and decisive. The city defenders had been hastily gathered, and there were few Shadow Crystals to help empower them. The Shadow army by contrast was well equipped and organised, and contained many creatures and horrors that caused the unprepared to flee at the sight of them. Kurze had to suppress a shudder as one of those Wraiths from the Darkwood passed by him. They were almost as scary as Ter Adun and his bear of a bodyguard, the aptly named Kairos Doombringer.

As the Shadow army began to claim the spoils of their victory; fresh meat in the case of the shadow warriors, and coin and women for the human mercenaries, Kurze began to move away from the bulk of the forces and head back toward the encampment. There was something more important that he was interested in.

Information.

Now that the Shadow army was occupied, he could complete his true task as an agent of Lance Shadowstalker, which was gaining information on the movements of the Shadow armies, unit strengths and future targets. He also carried a magical explosive device to cover his escape, or as Lance called it, "Supernova in a can." Detonating a device in the centre of the Shadow camp would do more than cover his escape; it would breed dissention in the ranks, and cast more suspicion over the other human mercenaries in the army.

The Shadow camp was far from empty, there were many troops still there, guarding the rear of the advancing army from surprise assault, plus all the support staff. So he would still have to sneak about to make it to the officer's camp. But stealth was what he was good at.

Slowly making his way past the many guards, using what shadows there were as cover, Kurze leapt over one of the hastily erected fences and hid behind a nearby pile of crates in the Officer's camp. Watching the movements of the guards Kurze quickly realised they were exceedingly bored, and with boredom came predictability. They were putting no thought into their patrol, repeating the same pattern over and over. Deftly bouncing from one cover to the next, Kurze found himself behind Ter Adun's war tent. Listening for a few moments for movement and hearing none, he lifted the back of the tent up and snuck inside.

The inside of the tent was a mess of papers, scrying artifacts, and maps. Hastily yet methodically making his way through the clutter, Kurze began identifying and committing to memory important pieces of information. There were documents highlighting an alliance with the Aldmor disciples, a tentative truce with Darkclaw's Wulven pack, and surprisingly a large number of the Braxnorian army had pledged their support. Ter Adun had been busy.

What was even more concerning were the troop numbers. Ter Adun had over one thousand mercenaries under his command, in addition to his conventional troops, which numbered over twenty thousand individual man sized Shadow beasts. This didn't include the few thousand larger beasts or "artillery" as they were referred to in the documents. Troops like Behemoths, Leviathans and the newly awakened Furrion Terrors.

With too much to remember, Kurze began to shove documents into the various pockets about his person. As a rogue, it always made sense to have lots of carry space. When he could carry no more, he placed the explosive on the ground and began preparing it. The sounds of movement interrupted him before he had a chance to activate it. Spinning around to size up the threat, Kurze's stomach turned to ice. Blocking the entire entrance stood the hulking form of Kairos.

Knowing he had no chance in a stand up fight, Kurze tossed a pair of throwing knives to try and slow the juggernaut down before attempting to retreat the way he came. The two knives simply bounced off Kairos' armour, and he steadily advanced while drawing his broadsword. Kurze lifted up the back of the tent and rolled underneath it, narrowly avoiding the swing of Kairos' sword as it sliced the back of the tent to ribbons. Running now, Kurze looked back to see Kairos stepping through the gap he'd created, before breaking into a sprint. Despite his size, Kairos moved with a measure of grace and he easily kept up with Kurze as he attempted to escape. The commotion alerted the guards and they gave chase, grateful for the action.

No time for stealth, Kurze headed for the main entrance to the Officer's camp, hoping he was going to be able to outmanoeuvre the two Minotaurs stationed there. Sidestepping left and right he managed to duck under the swings of the two beasts and make a bolt for freedom. Just as he felt he was home free, a blow to the back of his head made him crumple to the ground like a rag doll. Groggily rolling around to face his attacker, Kurze saw the helmeted head of Kairos staring at him. As the broadsword came down to decapitate Kurze, the only thought running through his mind was how Kairos could have possibly been faster than he was.

* * *

Lyra Blackrose recoiled as her mental connection to Kurze was abruptly severed by Kairos' strike. She mourned for a few seconds before turning her attention to the mental information she'd pulled from his mind in his last few moments of life. As she mentally thumbed through it, her eyes widened and she broke into a sprint.

Lance and Gunther needed to see this.


	4. Crisis of Faith

**Crisis of Faith**

_Arm raised; dodge to the left._

Going to try to catch me on the backswing, step back.

One more swing, across the body, step under the blow.

NOW!

The warrior cried out as Domina's claws slashed his exposed stomach. However this was a veteran opponent and he did not falter for long, stepping back to put a little distance between them and bringing his shield into a defensive position. He nodded slightly, a mark of respect for Domina's skill, before tapping his shield twice with his blade to goad her into attacking.

Domina smiled, though it was not visible behind her finely wrought mask. Without hesitation, she rolled forward as if to strike at the warrior's legs, but quickly shifted direction and brought one claw up in a sweeping motion to try and once again strike at his now wounded stomach. The warrior was prepared this time, sidestepping to the right and causing Domina to overshoot her mark, before bringing his sword down to decapitate her.

Reacting with the speed she was famous for, Domina caught the blade in her other claw, before twisting her wrist to lock it in. With practiced grace, she cartwheeled around the warrior's arm, wrenching the sword from his grip and disarming him. Tossing the sword away from the pair of them, she now had the upper hand.

Pressing her advantage, Domina moved forward and began to strike, probing for a weakness in the warrior's defences. Each of her strikes was met with his shield, and the two duelled for a good couple of minutes. Finally Domina forced an opening and went for the disabling strike, but a sturdy hand caught her arm before she could do so. The warrior hefted her off her feet and threw her to the ground before she could react. He then swung his boot into her side, winding her. Domina managed to recover enough to roll away before the sharp edge of the warrior's shield came crashing down where her neck was a moment before.

Rolling to her feet and still feeling the sting in her side from the warriors boot, Domina re-evaluated her strategy. This warrior was faster than he had let on, and she sure as hell wouldn't underestimate him again. So this time she was a bit more cautious, making feints to test his reactions. Without a weapon he was at the very least forced to be more defensive, trying to strike without the benefit of steel was a very risky strategy.

Yet once again the warrior surprised her, swinging outward with the edge of his shield. Domina was lucky to catch the telltale twitch in his shoulder before he launched the attack, and leaned back just enough to have the edge sail harmlessly past her. Quickly countering, she made a sharp jab with her claw into the warrior's forearm, causing him to reflexively jerk back and bring a hint of warrior's rage to the surface. He swung with the shield again, and this time Domina could anticipate it. She jumped and launched herself off of the shield, sailing over his head, twisting in mid-air and decapitating the warrior in a single clean stroke. She landed neatly behind his corpse and raised her right hand in triumph, and in response the crowd in the arena roared.

_They always love a flashy ending._

* * *

"Brilliant as always Domina." Cliff, her manager chuckled. "Make it look like you're on the ropes, then pull off the classy victory."

"I was on the ropes." Domina replied without emotion. "He was exceptionally skilled."

"_Was_, my dear. But you were better." Cliff grinned, handing over the bag of silver. "Anyway, here's your take."

Domina nodded silently and attached the bag to a loop on her belt. Cliff left her room without another word, he knew she liked her privacy, and she would never relax with him there. He had never even seen her face under that mask, and she had made it very clear that neither he nor anyone else ever would.

Once the door had shut Domina undid the ribbon holding her blond hair in place and let it flow out. She released the latches on the vambraces that her battle claws were bolted to and placed them on the simple wooden table in front of her. She was about to remove her mask when a tapping sound made her spin around.

Sitting in the only chair in the room was a man clothed entirely in black, a mask over the lower part of his face. Along his belt were all manner of weapons, most notably a trio of throwing knives and a pair of Katar. It would take too long to equip herself with her claws; she would have to deal with this intruder unarmed. "Get. Out. Now." She growled.

The man was obviously not rattled; he leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. "Oh come on, surely you could be nicer to an old friend?" He said simply.

"I don't know you." Domina stated. "Get out."

The man stood up and Domina prepared herself. But he didn't advance on her.

"You don't need to play games. I know who you are… Amber."

Sighing, Amber Rain removed the mask that had kept her identity hidden for the longest time. "Damnit Lance, why couldn't you just leave me alone?" She groaned.

"I need your help. The war needs someone of your skills and renown."

"My skills and renown got a city razed to the ground, every single man under my command butchered, and my lover killed." She said as she leaned against the table. "No way am I going back out there to send more people to their deaths."

"You kill people for a living."

"That's different. That's one person, who is paid to fight me. Who will kill me if I don't kill them first. It's not an army that I order to fight. Order to die."

Lance walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, before crouching slightly to look her right in the eyes. "What happened was not your fault. I saw the reports from Majiya's second attack on the City of Spears. You were outnumbered 10 to 1. No general could have saved that city. Not even Gunther."

Amber pushed his hand away. "But then what did I do? Followed Serena and Gwen and got the rest of my men killed."

"And saved our reality in the process." Lance replied. "Those men gladly followed you; they knew what was at stake. That it had to be done. You were unflinching in your resolve, and they would have followed you through the gates of Hell. I need that again. I _need_ Amber Rain."

She looked at him, looked into those tired eyes. Lance had put everything aside, everything, to fight this war since the battle of Ravendark. She could see the sacrifice written all over his face, and the regret. She knew he had lost much, yet he kept pushing forward. Because he had to. Because he was needed. Now it was her turn to heed the call, and looking at him, she _knew_ she could not walk away. Not again.

"Let's go."


	5. Unholy Alliances

**Unholy Alliances**

Logan roared his triumph as he stood over the broken form of his younger brother. Finally the Stonebreaker clan was his to rule, as it should always have been, had events not conspired against him in the previous cycle. The accident that had robbed him of much of his strength had also allowed his brother to garner support against him and rise to power. But he wouldn't be trying that again.

All around him, his Minotaur brethren dropped to their knees in reverence. There was only one rule with his kind, might makes right. And now there were none who were even close to matching him.

"Lord Logan." The guttural voice of Clan Envoy Urdnark broke the silence as he entered the battle chamber. "There is someone here to see you from another clan."

Logan growled. The interruption of his victory was not acceptable. Whoever this other clan envoy was, he had best talk quickly. "Who is this interloper?"

"He says his name is Kairos, my lord."

* * *

Logan sat on the clan throne as he surveyed this Kairos Doombringer. He was fully clad in battle plate which made it impossible to say for sure exactly what he was, but his general body shape alluded to the fact that he was one of those filthy humans, albeit a physically impressive one. In fact he had never seen a human able to match the height of a Minotaur, until now.

"Speak." Logan growled.

Kairos stepped forward until he was only a few paces from Logan. Logan's guards moved forward to intercept, weapons at the ready, but Logan waved them back. He had no need for someone else to defend him. If this Kairos wanted to attack him, Logan would take his head. However it soon became apparent why Kairos had moved so close. His voice was barely a whisper, but powerful and commanding. Logan imagined it was what Death himself would sound like.

"I come to offer you an opportunity to grow more powerful." Kairos stated.

"Really? I now rule Clan Stonebreaker. What more could I want?"

"Clan Stonebreaker is still small and will be swallowed up by many of the larger Shadow forces out there." Kairos replied. "You need a powerful ally. My master is one of those."

Logan could feel the rage within him rising to the fore. Who was this Kairos to come to his clan and say such things? This affront to his honour could not stand.

"You come here, pathetic human, and claim we are WEAK!?" He roared, rising from the throne, axe in hand. His bodyguards approached Kairos again, awaiting the order. "KILL HIM!" Logan bellowed.

Kairos moved with the speed of a Wulven, drawing his sword and neatly decapitating the left guard before twisting the blade in his hand and impaling the right through the chest. Before Logan could even raise his weapon to strike his guards were dead and Kairos' bloody blade was pointed squarely at Logan's heart.

"Try that again and I will kill you where you stand." Kairos spoke again, his voice still that same deadly whisper. Somehow the fact he hadn't raised his voice made him even more menacing. He sheathed his sword without bothering to clean it. "The offer still stands, if you wish it. If not, I shall be forced to kill you, and my master will take over Clan Stonebreaker through force."

Logan sat down again. Seeing Kairos fight, he actually had some doubts as to whether he could defeat him. "All right. Tell your master I shall join him."

"Excellent." Kairos replied.

* * *

"Master, there is someone here to see you." Yog'lau stated while on bent knee. Majiya looked up at him, turning her attentions from her ritual preparation. "Who is it?" She asked sternly.

"A man named Kairos. At least, he looks like a man." Yog'lau replied.

"Very well, send him in."

Yog'lau scampered off to collect her guest. Majiya sighed. Ka'thax had been a much better servant; he wasn't as snivelly as Yog'lau. Shame he had to die at Ravendark.

Yog'lau returned with Kairos. Majiya had to crane her neck to meet his gaze, and even that wasn't really possible due to his helmet. Whoever he was, he certainly was hard to miss.

"That will be all Yog'lau." Majiya ordered, waving him away. Yog'lau hurried out of the room as quickly as he could. She returned her attentions to the monster of a man in her chamber. "Speak."

"May I have that rag?" Kairos asked, pointing to Majiya's table and the washcloth on it. Puzzled, Majiya nodded, and Kairos picked it up, unsheathed his sword and cleaned the now dried blood off of it with the cloth. _Obviously the blood of the last person he negotiated with._ Majiya surmised. _Also a move meant to intimidate me._

"Surely you didn't come all this way to clean your sword." Majiya stated. "State your business."

"How astute of you." Kairos replied flatly, sheathing his sword. Majiya actually had a hard time determining if he was being sarcastic or if he was attempting to joke. "I come here seeking an alliance on behalf of my master."

Majiya raised an eyebrow. "Really? And who, pray tell, is your master?"

"That is unimportant." Kairos replied.

"On the contrary, that is very important." Majiya countered, moving closer to Kairos. Huge or not, she wasn't going to be dictated to by this man. "I'm not going to throw my lot in with anyone without knowing them."

"If you don't accept, my master will take control of your faction by force. You will not survive."

Majiya snorted. "Oh please, physical threats may have worked against the Minotaurs, but do you know who you're dealing with?" She paused to let the statement sink in. "I will drag your soul out of your mouth before you even have a chance to un-sheath your blade."

Kairos tilted his head slightly. "What makes you think I've made a deal with the Minotaurs?"

"Minotaur blood, even dry, has a very distinctive odour." Majiya replied. "Dealing with them means you need brute force, so your army is a bit lacking in that department." She paused before continuing. "Also, you've come to me, which tells me that your master has no knowledge of the magical arts. And he's not Wulven; they are notorious for only dealing with their own kind if possible. He could be one of the Hunters, but they like to work alone or in small groups. They certainly wouldn't amass an army. No, your master is a warrior like you. And there's only one warrior general making a lot of noise out there at the moment, enough to warrant alliances. Ter Adun."

"You truly are worthy of the credit my Master gives you." Kairos replied simply. "Well, now that you have deduced his identity, will you join us?"

Majiya crossed her arms. "I will think about it. Expect my reply by sundown."

Kairos nodded. "I shall inform my master. Good day." And with that he turned on his heel and left.

Majiya exhaled. She had not shown it, but she was glad when Kairos had left the room.

* * *

Kairos moved quickly away from the Sorceress' lair and toward his chariot. He had both Logan and Majiya exactly where they needed to be, Logan fearful of his martial prowess, and Majiya convinced of her mental superiority. As he mounted his chariot and rode back toward Ter Adun's camp, he smiled slightly under his helmet.

Everything was coming together nicely.


	6. The Three Musketeers

**The Three Musketeers**

"So this is the famed Amber Rain." Gunther exclaimed, looking her over. "I figured you'd be taller."

Amber looked up at the much larger man and frowned. "But I'm just the right height to hit you where it really hurts."

Gunther paused for a moment and Lance grimaced. Back-talking Gunther was a recipe for disaster; he ran a tight ship and brooked no insubordination. But to Lance's shock, Gunther burst out laughing.

"Well played Ms Rain." He smiled. "I just hope your blades are as sharp as your wit. Because where we're sending you, you'll need to be at your peak."

"And where is that exactly?" She asked.

"Windspire." Lance replied. "Something's happened there. The city is in chaos."

"Shadow attack?" She asked.

"Most definitely, but not like we've seen before, this is insidious." Gunther replied. "The governor has been making and changing laws, just subtle tweaks and adjustments really. But over time it's caused the situation there to deteriorate rapidly. Taxes were raised, which further bridged the gap between rich and poor and pushed many onto the streets, which led to crime. Much of the city guard was made redundant which only exacerbated the crime situation. Other laws around trade tariffs and restrictions of goods into Windspire have brought the city to its knees."

"There's round the clock looting." Lance continued. "Violent crimes are the norm now, and people go missing on a daily basis, turning up dead days later. Thousands protest each day, and many die when assaulted by heavy handed law enforcement, all of whom are now protecting the palace full time. The city is on the brink of collapse."

"This is insane. How are they doing this?" Amber exclaimed.

"A woman by the name of Alana." Amber turned to see a young woman with striking silver-blue hair. She continued speaking as she walked into the room. "The few scouts I've been able to get into Windspire have reported seeing this woman with the Mayor at all times. It's almost like she has him under thrall."

"Amber, may I introduce Lyra Blackrose." Lance said with a smirk. "Probably the second best spy I've ever known."

Lyra snorted. "You know I'm better than you."

"Stow it, you two." Gunther ordered. "Lyra, continue."

"Well, we've tried to take her out, the problem is that she has this…. effect on men. All of my male scouts show up either dead or in the same state as Governor Torgadden."

"Not just dead, half eaten too." Lance added. "She's definitely some kind of Shadow agent."

"What about women?" Amber asked.

Lyra smiled. "Exactly. Never send a man to do a woman's job."

"What she means is we need to get a woman in there." Lance clarified.

"Me." Amber stated. Lance simply nodded.

"You won't go in alone." Gunther explained. "However I can't send a large team in. But I can provide some support."

"Serena?" Amber asked Lance, who shook his head. "No, we haven't seen Serena since Ravendark. I have no idea where she is. Gunther means the Rosecult sisters." He motioned out toward the courtyard. "Come, you should meet them."

* * *

The Rosecult sisters were found practicing their swordplay in the main courtyard, each as graceful as the other as they twirled and countered blows, and occasionally Amber could hear a short grunt as one of them connected with their kendo sticks. As Amber and Lance approached both Rosecults stopped sparring and looked over the new arrival, and as she got closer Amber realised they weren't just sisters, they were twins.

"Jasmine, Lily." Lance began, nodding to each in turn, "This is Amber Rain."

One of the two shook her head. "I'm Lily, that's Jasmine." She said, pointing at her twin.

"Oh no, you're not pulling this crap on me again." Lance replied sternly, and the two twins simultaneously grinned. Lance turned back to Amber. "Well, one of them is Lily, the other Jasmine. Normally they don't dress alike so it's easy to pick them." He said, referring to their training garb.

Amber nodded. "Looks like we're heading to Windspire together, so hopefully I'll have figured it out by then."

"You want us to wear name tags?" One of the twins mocked, and the other elbowed her in the side. "Shut up Jasmine."

"What? Just making conversation." Jasmine replied.

"Being an idiot more like." Lily retorted.

Lance looked at Amber and smiled. "Have fun."

The trip to Windspire was long, made even longer by the constant bickering between the Rosecults. They argued over everything ranging from fighting styles to ex-boyfriends. From what Amber overheard Jasmine seemed quite the man-eater.

However Amber was glad to realise that when it came down to it, the twins were all business. They had been attacked by bandits a number of times en-route, and when that happened the talking stopped and the twins moved like a single fluid machine, barely even exchanging words as they fought. However as soon as the battle was over the bickering began anew. Still, Amber could see why Gunther and Lance appreciated their talents.

Upon arriving at Windspire, Amber could see the city gates had been closed and locked. There were no guards on the city walls, however there was still going to be no easy way in. Walking up to the walls, Amber ran her hand over them. They were too smooth to climb conventionally. Good thing Lance had anticipated this eventuality and provided the three of them with climbing hooks. Amber, Lily and Jasmine slowly but surely scaled the walls and surveyed the city.

And what they saw chilled them to the bone.


	7. Job Offers

**Job Offers**

Tarick pushed his pillow into the rucksack, it barely fitting with all the provisions and additional weapons already contained within. Whilst he could sleep wherever he was told to, he always had to have his pillow. It made the nights more comfortable. Just as he managed to squeeze it in, the sound of someone approaching made him look up.

The Marauder at the entrance to his tent motioned toward the officer's camp with his hand. "Don't forget to collect your pay from Lord Adun before you go." Its voice was full of disgust for the human mercenary.

Tarick simply nodded as he pulled the cables on the rucksack, closing it up. He swung it over his shoulder then headed out of the tent. The Marauder didn't move out of the way fully, so Tarick simply pushed him clear of the entrance with his shoulder as he passed.

Despite the fact he didn't trust the Shadow army; he had to admit Ter Adun ran a tidy operation. Most other generals would be happy to 'forget' to pay their mercenaries if they had the chance. However in ensuring everyone got their wages, Ter Adun was ensuring that any mercenaries would be more trusting and willing to work in the future, which showed he was thinking ahead.

Walking past the four Minotaurs at the entrance to the Officer's camp, Tarick paused for a moment. _There were only two guards a week ago._ He mused. Obviously an uninvited guest had stuck his nose where it wasn't wanted, and security had been improved as a result. He carried on toward Ter Adun's tent.

Reaching the tent, he frowned. It looked like every other human mercenary in the army had also been given his marching orders. _Seems the intruder was an insider and Ter isn't taking any more chances._ Sighing, Tarick resigned himself to a long wait.

* * *

"Get out, traitor." Gunther stated, his voice filled with threats of retribution. "Before I have you executed as a Shadow spy."

_Traitor?_ Tarick rankled slightly at that. He'd travelled for days and that was the response he got? "I'm not a traitor my Lord. I'm merely a soldier trying to survive. As you well know, war is a lucrative business, and ultimately I have to look after my own interests."

"If we lose this war your own interests mean squat." Gunther growled. "You think the Shadow give a damn about you should they win this? You need to pull your head out of the sand and realise that the only way you're going to protect your interests is through fighting for a cause, not money."

"Did you ever consider that me being in the Shadow camp could help you? I might have valuable intelligence." Tarick retorted.

"I'm more inclined to think the Shadow sent you to carry out their agenda. I've seen what they can do, seen how they can manipulate people. No mercenary that's worked for them will ever fight in my army. Now get out."

Tarick opened his mouth to retort but realised it was ultimately worthless. So instead he simply nodded and left the camp. _How dare Gunther treat me like that? Well, there are plenty of other Generals on both sides that will gladly accept my help._ He mounted his steed and angrily kicked it in the side to get it moving and away from the camp as quickly as possible.

It was a good few hours before he finally stopped. He was still a couple of hours from the nearest town, and while he was desperate for a good mead and a busty wench, it was getting dark and riding alone along these roads was a dangerous affair. So instead of pressing on, he decided to bed down for the night. Heading off the beaten path, Tarick found a nice clearing big enough for a camp.

Tarick was no fool however; even though he was off the road he was far from safe, especially in these uncertain times. And while he was a light sleeper he didn't want to be surprised by bandits or a hungry Wulven pack, so the first order of business was preparing the area with traps. While he was no master trapsetter he had picked up a few tricks during his career, and before long the immediate vicinity was littered with pit, snare and net traps.

The tent was erected just in time to see the sun setting on the horizon, giving the forest a reddish hue before it finally dipped below the distant mountains. Tying his horse to a nearby tree, Tarick pulled out his pillow and retired for the night.

* * *

The familiar twang of a trap going off startled Tarick awake. Not wasting any time, he grabbed his hammer and listened intently. There was no scream of agony and no cursing, so it wasn't bandits. And it wasn't an animal, as they'd be making a lot of noise either due to their wounds or their effort in trying to escape. Making his way out of the tent, he was interested to find out exactly what was out there waiting for him. What he found surprised him. Outside and barely visible in the dark stood Kairos, with a snare trap wrapped around his leg that had failed to lift his massive bulk. In fact it looked like he'd just walked through it and tore off the branch it was attached to.

"Hello." Tarick said quizzically. "Can I help you Kairos?"

"I wish to enlist your services." He replied in that cold, quiet voice of his. Even in the still air of the forest he was hard to understand, but was no less menacing for it.

"Striking out on our own are we?" Tarick asked with a hint of sarcasm. "I thought you worked exclusively for Ter."

"I still do. This is by his request." Kairos replied. "He wishes for me to build a small task force to do tasks that can't be achieved by a large army."

"No offense, but you're not built for commando work."

"I trailed you without you noticing." Kairos retorted, and Tarick had to concede that point. Despite his skills, Kairos had tracked him easily. "Regardless, a small trusted team of a dozen should be enough."

"Interesting I would be considered trusted, especially as Ter just sacked all his mercenaries." Tarick replied, crossing his arms. He didn't want to reveal just yet that he had figured out why they'd all been sacked.

"The mercenaries were simply not needed. However I convinced Lord Adun that it was worth retaining your services, having seen you in battle." Kairos explained. "This would also be worth double your usual price."

Tarick was taken aback by that. _Double?_ He was not cheap by any means, and if Ter was willing to pay double, then…..

Tarick extended his hand. "Deal."


	8. The Sheep

**The Sheep**

"Oh dear God." Lily whispered as the trio looked into the city of Windspire. Like Lily, Amber couldn't believe her eyes. From their vantage point they could see an enormous crowd in the street pressing forward to the palace. At the palace gates, the remaining city guard readied their weapons and loosed arrows into the crowd. On the outskirts of the crowd violence abounded, looters breaking into shops, and assaulting protesters before dragging them off into dark alleys. Amber cringed as a trio of men descended upon a hapless girl.

"Let's go." She commanded, a burning conviction rising within her. "Stick to the rooftops, we won't last long down there."

The trio leapt onto the first rooftop from the city walls. Like many cities that had steadily grown over the years, Windspire was predominantly high density housing and the buildings were tightly packed and double story, which meant negotiating the city by rooftop was at least relatively easy.

As they began to get closer to the palace, the level of devastation became even more apparent. There were bodies in the street, victims of muggings or more heinous crimes. Homes and shops had been firebombed, and many burned unchecked, their owners either long dead or long gone. A child barely four years old was shaking his mother, who had been trampled to death by the crowd, crying for her to get up. The raw emotion of the carnage threatened to overwhelm Amber, so she and the Rosecults kept themselves focused on their goal, the palace.

Like the city walls, the housing had butted up against the palace walls as a result of population growth. This made it easier to climb, however the guards patrolling along the wall did not. The trio of women waited until a patrol had just passed before using their climbing hooks to scale the wall. As Amber finished climbing the wall, she found herself only a few paces behind the patrol.

Looking back down at the crowd, then at the trio of guards walking away, the rage overcame her. Without pause she snapped the neck of the first, impaled the second on her blade and threw the third off the wall onto the rooftops metres below. When Lily and Jasmine finished scaling the wall, they found Amber on her knees, breathing like a rabid animal.

"This ends now." She growled.

* * *

The three women didn't enter the palace from the ground floor; instead they snuck in from one of the towers, and made their way down towards the main living area. From every report Lyra had managed to obtain the Governor spent most of his days in his bedroom, presumably with this Alana woman. Quietly sneaking into the main areas of the palace, Amber could see a lot of servants tending to the house, all men. However they moved almost like they were sleepwalking. "They're enthralled." Jasmine whispered.

Walking through the halls it became apparent that the servants were ignoring them, or simply didn't realise they existed. They moved as though the trio weren't there, and they found themselves hugging walls just to avoid running into people. Following the hallway they came into one of the dining areas. The Governor's room was on the other side and down the hall, so they were close, but something about this room disturbed Amber's trained senses. Her fears were confirmed when Lily screamed.

Turning around, Amber could see Lily was under attack by a young woman. The woman didn't fight like a human however, she fought like a wild animal, swinging and slashing as though she had claws. Try as she might, Lily was unable to defend against such a feral onslaught. The woman grabbed Lily's wrist and sunk her teeth into Lily's arm, before grabbing her around the chest and biting deep into her throat. Lily's screams turned to gurgles as the blood left her body and she slumped to the ground, blood pouring from her wounds.

Jasmine's cry was unlike anything Amber had ever heard. Drawing her two swords, she swung at the woman, who had paused for a moment to survey her kill. Reacting inhumanly fast, the woman dodged the first blow but was unable to avoid the second, the blade severing her left arm. Blood poured from the wound, but it was _black_. Amber expected the woman to drop to the ground in agony, but she did not.

She laughed.

Lunging at Jasmine she prepared to tear her apart the way she did Lily. However Amber intervened, stepping in-between and impaling the woman on her blades. The woman didn't stop however, biting and tearing at Amber and causing her to bleed from a dozen wounds. The adrenalin kicking in, Amber spun, sliding the woman off her blades and throwing her to the floor. As she started to get up Amber quickly swung and severed her head from her neck. Finally the woman hit the ground, dead.

Amber made sure their attacker wasn't getting up before turning to Lily. Jasmine was on her knees cradling her dead sister in her arms, begging for her to breathe. A silent scream left her lips as she crumpled to the ground, clutching her sister so tight Amber could see her knuckles had gone white. The sound of running feet told Amber they needed to go now, and she tried to drag Jasmine away from her sister to no avail. She turned and ran, tears in her eyes as more women like the first descended on the mourning Rosecult.

Amber ran and ran until she could no longer hear the sounds of those monsters feasting. Then she screamed. An inhuman, guttural scream that shattered her soul. She screamed until her throat was hoarse and it hurt to breathe, before collapsing to her knees to await a gruesome death. But something stopped her. A spark of determination burst into an inferno, and she picked herself up. She could not dishonour those two women who had died only moments before by surrendering. Drawing her blades, Amber moved to the Governor's office and kicked the door in with all her might. Inside lay Governor Torgadden, dead. His stomach was torn open and his innards splayed out over the bed, the sheets soaked with his blood.

However he was not alone. Sitting over him was another of those women, gorging herself on his intestines. She looked up at Amber and smiled gently.

"Well, looks like we have a sheep amongst the wolves." She purred, standing up. She was stark naked, her body covered with the blood of the Governor.

"You monster." Amber snarled. "You will die for what you've done you heathen bitch."

The woman stopped. "What I've done? I gave him the time of his life. He savoured my body for months; normally my victims only get to sample the apple once." She stepped forward and Amber readied her blades. "But I needed to keep him alive, though he disgusted me. But now he's outlived his usefulness. Guess the first part of his body I tore off when I killed him? It was so satisfying."

"Shut up. It's time for you to go to Hell where you belong." Amber swung at Alana, who effortlessly dodged the blow. Amber spun and twirled her blades, attempting to connect, but Alana always managed to avoid tasting Amber's steel. Alana ducked under one of Amber's swings and punched her in the chest. The blow was unlike anything Amber had felt in all her years of combat, and she heard a number of ribs shatter. Fighting through the pain she kicked at Alana, who merely sidestepped, grabbing Amber's right arm and braking it as easily as someone would break a twig. Alana kicked Amber in the back, sending her to the ground before sitting on her back and ramming Amber's head into the ground. Her world spun as the demon-woman continued to assault her.

Eventually the attacks stopped, Alana standing up and kicking Amber over onto her back. Looking through the one eye that hadn't swollen shut, Amber could see that a number of others had joined Alana in the room. Alana motioned at two of them before kneeling down and whispering in Amber's ear.

"It's a shame you aren't a man, I would've brought you to the heights of ecstasy before your demise." She purred. "But never fear, we'll still have some fun together. I will make you wish for death every single day, for the rest of your short miserable life."

And with that, two of the women grabbed Amber's feet and dragged her away.


	9. Ends and Means

**Ends and Means**

Gorgus twirled the last Shadow Crystal in his hand, feeling its power grow simply because of his proximity to it. The mage who hired him, Eladwen she said her name was, had given him a new Shadow Crystal every few hours for a week now. The only thing she asked of him was to hold them during that time, to charge them.

A knock on the door startled Gorgus, and looking up he could now see that familiar glow.

"How are we doing?" Eladwen asked, her voice that silky smooth purr. Gorgus had to admit that it was seductive, and wondered once again, as he did every time they spoke, if she looked as good as she sounded.

"Fine, this one should be ready now." Gorgus replied, holding out the crystal, which Eladwen took without delay.

"Excellent Gorgus." Eladwen stated, grasping the crystal in her hand. "Now come, we have a ritual to enact." Gorgus nodded and followed her.

The ritual room was enormous, and the energy pulsating through it threatened to overwhelm his Shadow sight. A giant portal structure much like the ill-fated nexus at Ardentus dominated the room, runes of power etched into its surface. They glowed with energy and emblazoned themselves into Gorgus' mind. Lining the walls were the Shadow Crystals he helped augment, and as he stood and absorbed the magnitude of this operation Eladwen placed the last Crystal into its slot. Gorgus could feel the heat of many other people in the room; however the latent magic in the room clouded his vision to the point he couldn't make out individuals. One thing he did know was that the room smelt horrid, like wild animals.

Eladwen touched him on the shoulder. "Please, for the final part of the ritual I need you to stand on the platform beside the portal. There's nothing else you need to do, just stand there and let your gift do the rest."

Walking up to the platform Gorgus felt more than a bit apprehensive. He had trusted Eladwen so far, but was he right to do so? She had said she could restore his vision, but had yet to even elaborate as to how. Even this ritual had been barely explained, beyond the fact that it was creating a portal large enough to move more than a few people at a time. As he arrived on the platform he sighed and realised that he was operating on hope alone. He prayed that it was enough.

He closed his eyes as Eladwen began the ritual, the light from the latent magic in the room becoming too much to bear. It was like the nexus all over again, threatening to swallow him whole, as though he was falling into the sun. The whole room began to shake and even with his eyes shut, the light was visible underneath his eyelids. A great roar filled the chamber as the portal opened, the wind from the destination blasting through. Then the sea of people in the room began to move forward through the portal, slowly at first, then charging forward as they realised the experiment had worked. There was a great cheer as they did so, but it wasn't right, it was too guttural, almost animalistic. When he heard the sounds of battle, Gorgus suddenly became very afraid of what was down there.

It wasn't long before Eladwen had joined him on the platform. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Come, let's restore your sight and let you see just what you have helped me achieve."

As they walked through the portal together Gorgus couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't going to like what was coming.

* * *

"Close your eyes." Eladwen purred as she stroked his face. "Let my power flow through you."

Gorgus did as he was told. Eladwen's hand was cold to the touch as it moved over his face, tracing a runic pattern over his eyes and forehead. Then she kissed him gently. But it wasn't a kiss of passion or intimacy; she was transferring some of her latent energy into him. He felt it moving through his body, and it gave him a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. When he opened his eyes he did not see Eladwen's magical glow, he instead saw her dark skin, silver hair, and pointed ears. And then he knew he had been betrayed.

Gorgus pushed away from her. "You're not human."

'Eladwen' smiled a fiendish grin. "No."

"Who are you?!" Gorgus shouted. "Tell me!"

"Majiya."

It was a simple name, but one that rocked Gorgus to the core. In front of him stood the most feared and hated mage in the entire land, the infamous Scourge of Ravendark. And looking past her for a brief moment into the city beyond, he realised the extent of his betrayal. All around him the city burned; the remains of a short and decisive Shadow assault. Dead and dying littered the streets, and in the distance Gorgus could just make out the remnants of the city guard attempting to flee. Staring at the carnage he realised one thing:

He was responsible for this.

The world spun as he collapsed to the ground, the guilt weighing him down as though he carried the corpses of his actions on his back. He couldn't move; the shock of his actions too much to bear. He couldn't even push Majiya's hand off him as she knelt down and gently caressed his back.

"Shhh, it's ok." She whispered in his ear. "Remember the hurt that was bestowed upon you. You only wanted to help people, and in return your sight was stolen from you. None of the humans wanted to fix you. None of them cared. I've given you back what you so desperately wanted." She kissed him gently again. "I'm the one that cares. Join with me."

Gorgus started to sob uncontrollably, and Majiya just sat there with him, rubbing his back and whispering gently in his ear.

* * *

Eventually Gorgus returned to his room with the help of Majiya, and she gently lay him down in his bed before leaving. Gorgus was still in shock, and questions moved around in his head like a swarm of bees.

"I must admit, she's very good." A voice stated simply. "She's betrayed you, yet she's still got you wrapped around her little finger."

"Who's there?" Gorgus called out. "Show yourself."

A slight man moved out of the shadows. He wore a simple cloak that seemed to adapt to the surroundings, always keeping him slightly out of focus.

"Who are you?" Gorgus asked.

"My name is Jek, and I come with an offer." The man began. "You may think Majiya is your friend, you may even think she genuinely feels something for you, but rest assured she will betray you again when you outlive your usefulness."

"She's done more for me than any human out there." Gorgus retorted with as much venom as he could.

"The only reason she gave you your sight back was so you could see her betrayal." Jek replied. "She's laughing at you right now, laughing at how easily she's manipulated you."

"You're lying."

"Really? You've heard the stories. And if she was so kind and benevolent, why give you a false identity all this time? Even using the name Eladwen was a sick joke of hers, it is the name of one of the human mages that thwarted her at Ravendark." He knelt down and looked Gorgus right in the eyes. "Don't let her beat you. Take revenge for what happened today."

Gorgus looked away from Jek's stare, he couldn't bear it. But when he closed his eyes he kept flashing back to that burning city, the victims scattered in the streets. The children. There was only one thing left.

"What would you have me do?"


	10. The Captive

**The Captive**

Amber struggled with what strength she had left to get comfortable on the cold stone floor of the dungeon. Her captives had been none too gentle dragging her here and stripping her of her armor plate. Once that had been done they had chained her to the ground and left her alone in this place, with only a singular barred window letting light in. _It's an old interrogation technique; leaving me alone to sweat it out for a few hours before the questioning begins._ Unfortunately that knowledge did little to comfort her.

Looking around, Amber realised there was little hope of escape and that she would most likely die here, a plaything in the hands of that monster Alana. A large part of her felt that she deserved to die in agony, especially after she had sent so many to their graves. It would be atonement on her part.

There was that small part that still wanted to fight however, to spit in the face of her captors and not give them the satisfaction. It was the part that told her that if she was going to die here, she was going to die with what dignity she had left. It was also the part that told her to try and escape. So she began looking around for a tool of some kind to free herself. On a table near her sat a large number of torture devices, menacing her with their very presence. However some of them also promised salvation, being the right shape and size to pick the locks that restrained her. She kicked at the table to try and knock some onto the floor. The larger implements remained where they were, but some of the smaller ones dropped to the ground, and Amber started to feel a flicker of hope.

But as she stretched with her foot to drag one to her, the dungeon door opened.

* * *

It was true what they say, women make the best torturers.

Alana, or Clarissa as Amber had learnt, had shown a level of brutality and cruelty that Amber had never known, and as hard as she had tried, she had screamed. And cried, and begged and pleaded. And Clarissa had savoured every moment of it. As her last act before leaving Amber to recover from her wounds, Clarissa had pushed the table well out of reach. It was a last act that shattered any hope Amber had left. So she lay there, wishing for death, just as Clarissa had said she would.

She lay there unmoving for hours when she heard those dreaded footsteps coming back toward the door. As the door opened she was unable to hold it in and Amber started crying again at the knowledge of what was to come.

"She's in here!" Lance shouted. "She's alive!"

* * *

"My God Amber, how did you survive?" Lance exclaimed, his voice full of worry. The first thing he had done besides freeing her from her chains was making sure she was covered up before anyone else arrived.

"I don't know….. Lance… I'm sorry," She stammered, tears welling in her eyes. After a few seconds she couldn't hold it back anymore. Lance gently rubbed her back as she sobbed before gently lifting her chin up to look into her eyes.

"I'm the one who should be sorry." He replied. "I had no idea, and I sent you up against these monsters." He looked away in shame for a moment before turning back. "Lily and Jasmine are dead because of me. At least I got you out alive."

Amber watched as Lance poured a healing salve into a cup, and took it when he offered. She drank the ordained brew as he tended to the wounds on her body. "How… did you beat them?"

"We came in hard." Lance replied while dressing a bite wound on her leg. "Once Lyra lost contact with Lily she made sure she got in touch with me. Gunther brought half the army and we smashed Windspire to pieces on our way to the palace. It was not pretty, but it was worth it." He frowned. "We lost over fifty good men just dealing with the dozen or so succubi here."

"Succubi?" Amber replied weakly. "It makes sense…"

A knock at the door startled Amber. An elegant priest walked in, a prayer book in one hand and a collection of salves at her belt.

"This is Zhanna." Lance explained. He leaned in to Amber. "After I found you, I figured you'd prefer a female priest. Anyway, I'll be off. I'll have someone bring some clothes in for you when you're ready." He stood up but Amber grabbed his arm.

"Lance?" She whispered.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

* * *

Zhanna was an incredible healer and well deserving of her reputation, and Amber was dressed and out of the dungeon within an hour. She was still covered in bandages, but her bleeding had all but stopped and the salves she had drunk were healing her much faster than her body could do alone. The mental wounds would stay with her for much longer though.

She made it to the top of the staircase and the main foyer of the palace. Lance was overseeing the funeral preparation of the troops he had lost, and the succubi that his men had killed. Many of the thralls were still tending to their work as though nothing had happened, and Amber wondered when or if they would return to normal. Lance turned to her as she approached.

"Zhanna really is damn good at her job." Lance said warmly. "I figured you'd be unable to walk for at least a few more hours."

"She has a definite gift." Amber agreed. She looked around at the scene in front of her. "It looks bad."

"It was." Lance stated. "But at least it was quick. Eight succubi dead within minutes. Three more within the next five. But this is the most interesting thing. Follow me." Lance led her into the drawing room, just off the main foyer. In there were a half dozen Knights guarding a lone succubus, blades all pointed at her neck. Lance motioned at her. "This one surrendered."

Amber stared at her intently. She was not one that she recognized, but no doubt she had feasted on the Rosecults, just like the others. "Why give yourself up?" She asked, her voice trembling with rage.

"Because I'm not ready to die." The succubus replied. "And because if you want what I know, you have to let me live."

"Know? What are you talking about?"

"You think this was Clarissa's idea?" the succubus hissed. "She just wanted to hide, to feast on the homeless, to live out a comfortable life. She had no ambition beyond her own stomach."

"So why do this?" Lance questioned.

"I convinced her to move on the Governor. To destroy Windspire and draw out the humans. This was my master's bidding."

"You're working for someone else?" Amber slammed her fist on the table, causing pain to shoot through her barely healed arm. "WHO?!"

The succubus leaned in, her hot breath on Amber's face. "A name matters not. What matters is that you have played directly into my master's hands. You'll all be dead soon enough."

She looked down at Amber's body. "I would've loved to have seen Clarissa work on you." She purred. "You are a beautiful woman. I never understood her reluctance to sample the female form, I always found it… invigorating. I would've done things to you she would never had dreamed of. To have you quivering on the floor, begging me to stop but to keep going at the same…." She never finished her sentence as Amber grabbed a blade from one of the knights and in a fit of rage decapitated her. Lance recoiled as black blood sprayed from her severed neck.

"Show me the bodies." Amber growled, panting heavily. "I want to make sure they're all dead. NOW!"

Stunned, Lance said nothing but led her into back out into the foyer. All the succubi bodies were lined up, being prepared by the priests before being ritually burned. Amber looked over each one in turn before turning to Lance, eyes burning with fury.

"She's not here." Amber snarled through clenched teeth. "Clarissa has escaped."


	11. An Unlikely Ally

**An Unlikely Ally**

"As much as I understand your actions, I really wish you hadn't killed that succubus." Gunther groaned. "She could've been very useful."

Amber was about to open her mouth to reply when Lance chimed in. "My Lord, she was not going to give any more information away. And keeping her alive was too much of a risk; you saw what they're capable of. All she would have to do is charm the guards and she'd be free in a flash."

"Still, it was not her call to make." Gunther stated bluntly.

"Had Amber not done it, I would've killed her myself." Lance replied. "I lost too many good men to those monsters to keep her alive."

Gunther groaned again, and Lance could see the attack on Windspire weighed heavily on him. He knew that it was not the ideal path, and many innocents had lost their lives. But then again, considering the depths of corruption here, a full assault was the only solution anyway. Lance just wished they'd realised sooner.

"What about the one that you say escaped?" Gunther asked.

"We've combed high and low for her. We believe she escaped through the panic tunnels under the palace, some of my Shades found the tunnel entrances disturbed only recently." Lance replied. "I think she's long gone now."

"And the revelation that someone was pulling the Succubi's strings?"

"That I don't know." Lance sighed. "We need to search the palace, particularly the living quarters for the succubi. Maybe we'll find something."

"It could be a Shadow trick, but it does concern me that we are being pushed in directions for reasons we don't understand." Gunther stated. "I don't like being on the back foot, and not knowing who our mysterious puppet master is, if there is one, does not sit well with me."

"Me neither my Lord." Lance replied. "Rest assured we'll turn this place upside down for clues."

"Alright. Keep me updated." Gunther stated. "Dismissed."

Amber and Lance walked out of the makeshift office Gunther had set up in the library. Looking back, Amber could see Gunther hang his head as he contemplated his next move.

"Thanks again." Amber whispered. "I thought he was going to tear my head off."

"No problem." Lance smiled. "Now, get some rest, Lyra and I will start the search."

* * *

Her scream shattered the silence as Amber jolted awake. Within seconds half a dozen soldiers were in the room making sure she was ok. They dispersed when they realised there was no immediate danger, giving the crying Amber some privacy.

Eventually, when the images of her captivity faded enough to allow her to focus on the present, Amber climbed out of the bed and went to look for Lance. She eventually found him in the dining area, the same one that Amber and the Rosecults were originally ambushed in.

Lance must've heard her coming in. "This was the place wasn't it?" He asked solemnly. It was a rhetorical question however; the red blood staining the carpet was proof enough. "We've yet to find their bodies. Something tells me we never will."

Amber put her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe that's for the best." She looked up at him. "Have you found anything to go on?"

Lance nodded. "We have actually. In one of the bedrooms we found some correspondence between our succubus mole and who we presume is our puppet master. Also we found instructions around how our mole was meant to get in contact with him."

"That's great news. So, are we going to make contact?"

"We're already on it."

* * *

Lyra wrapped the cloak around her as she waited at the top of the tower. The biting wind made the cold air almost unbearable and she could feel her teeth chattering in her mouth. The small apparatus on the tower roof glowed brightly, the Shadow Crystal inside sending a thin stream of light into the heavens. She hoped she wouldn't have to wait up here for long; thankfully it was only a few minutes before she heard the unmistakable sound of beating wings.

The Gargoyle perched on the edge of the tower for a moment before dropping down and walking over to Lyra. By the time he realised it was not his contact, Lyra had grabbed him and shoved him to the ground, her blade at his neck. "Talk."

"Who are you?" The Gargoyle spat, his voice gravelly and unpleasant. "Where's Mileena?"

"Mileena lost her head." Lyra snarled. "Now talk, unless you want to lose yours."

"Hey, ok, ok!" The Gargoyle replied, "Truth be told I'm sick of this anyway."

"Name." Lyra demanded.

"Ka'thax." The Gargoyle replied, somewhat sheepishly. "Look, I'll answer all your questions, but the stone floor is a bit cold, so can you let me up?"

"Tell you what, you give me what I want and then I'll think about it." Lyra said bluntly. "Who are you working for?"

Ka'thax sighed. "Figured as much. Look, I just wanted out, a nice cave in the forest, plenty of animals to hunt. Solitary. Instead I get dragged back into this, what's the word you humans use, shit?"

"You're not answering my question."

"I work out of Ter Adun's camp." Ka'thax replied. "The messages come from there."

"So Ter Adun is the contact?" Lyra asked.

Ka'thax coughed. ""I don't know, the messages are always just waiting for me. But I can help you find out."

"And why would you want to do that?"

"As I said before, I want out of this stupid war. I've been attacked by my allies more often than my enemies. I just want my cave in the forest. Give me that and I'll do whatever you want."

Strangely enough, Lyra found herself believing Ka'thax. He sounded more sincere than most humans ever did. A quick scan of his mind confirmed he wasn't lying.

"All right." She said, moving off of Ka'thax and letting him stand. He cracked his neck and beat his wings a couple of times to stretch them out again. "You have 24 hours. If you do this, I'll organise a team to help you get out of the camp."

Ka'thax nodded before lifting off and returning to where he came from. Lyra sighed as she descended the staircase back into the palace.

She hoped she was right about this.

* * *

The next day, a rap on her window caused Lyra to spin around. There was no one there, but wedged between the window frame and the stone wall was a single scrap of paper. Grabbing it before the wind caught it, Lyra unfurled the paper. In a rather poor cursive it simply read:

_Kairos_.


	12. Revelations

**Revelations**

Tarick and his squad burst into Ter Adun's sleeping quarters, jolting the general awake. Instinctively knowing this wasn't a friendly visit; the general grabbed his blade and confronted the intruders. 'What the hell is this?!" He roared.

Tarick smirked. "Sorry my Lord, this is business."

* * *

Majiya stared at Logan, who merely grunted in her direction. She despised his brutish nature, and he had made no secret of the fact that he despised her reliance on "witchcraft". Since agreeing to Ter Adun's alliance, Majiya had been waiting for her chance to get more information about what exactly he wanted. And what she could stand to gain.

The infuriating thing was that they had been waiting in this damp cave for almost an hour, and Majiya was at her wits end. Her hair was soaked through, not to mention her clothes. There was only so long you could stand under a leaking roof and not have your mind turn to murderous thoughts.

Finally the sound of footsteps broke the uneasy silence. However stepping out of the shadows was not Ter Adun, but his bodyguard Kairos. "I'm glad you both heeded my call." He stated in that distinctive voice.

"Hold on, where is Ter Adun?" Logan demanded, his guttural roar filling the cave. Majiya stood silent; she already had an inkling of what was coming next.

"Ter Adun is currently… indisposed." Kairos replied simply.

"You mean dead." Majiya frowned. _I should've seen this coming._

"Indisposed." Kairos corrected.

"Well, you can count me out of this little alliance then." Majiya stated, turning to leave. In response to her statement a blast of lightning knocked her down, the smell of singed flesh filling her nostrils as she groaned in agony. As she slowly picked herself up, she could see the grinning skull of the necromancer Gravebone staring at her from the shadows.

"Before you leave my dear, at least hear me out." Kairos replied, his deathly voice exuding unspoken threats of violence.

Majiya clenched her teeth as she rubbed the burn left behind by the lightning strike. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really, no."

* * *

Lyra Blackrose followed the small squad of human mercenaries as they moved away from Ter Adun's camp. She had originally gone there to get eyes on Kairos and to keep up her end of the bargain with Ka'thax. However when she had arrived the camp was in chaos. Ter Adun was dead, along with half a dozen human mercenaries. Kairos was nowhere to be found. The various captains of his army were struggling to maintain order and fortify the camp in preparation for the expected human assault. In the confusion, no one had noticed this small band of humans leave the camp. No one but Lyra.

The humans, led by a rather rough looking man carrying a war hammer slowly made their way down the road, before rather abruptly turning into the forest. Lyra followed, doing her best to avoid the many fallen branches and dried leaves that were scattered over the forest floor. She wasn't entirely successful, and more than a few times she had to use her gift to ensure various members of the squad "forgot" the sounds they'd heard.

They continued on for some time, occasionally making seemingly random direction changes. _They're ensuring they aren't being followed._ Lyra smiled. They wouldn't shake her, even if she had lost sight of them; their minds were like a shining beacon in the forest.

They stopped at a large cave, with an entrance easily able to accommodate a man without him having to duck. Lyra waited for a few minutes after they had all entered the cave before following. The cave entrance was much longer than she expected, and it wasn't straight, it curved and branched off in many directions. Having lost sight of the mercenaries Lyra began to track them mentally. There were others here too, but not humans. _The mercenaries employers?_

The tunnel eventually began to widen out into a cavern, which was reminiscent of an arena. The walls on the sides were not vertical, but sloped up gradually to meet the curved ceiling at an angle. Water dripped quite heavily from the ceiling, so much so that Lyra suspected it was a fair way underground and probably beneath one of the lakes in the area. Thankfully with all this moisture many large stalagmites had formed for her to hide behind as she surveyed the gathering at the far side of the cavern.

In addition to the human mercenaries stood a number of Shadow agents. As Lyra moved from cover to cover to get closer she began to realise the gravity of this meeting. Both Majiya and Gravebone were here, though they didn't look happy with each other, and Majiya was nursing a nasty wound to her flank. There was a massive Minotaur as well, but she wasn't sure if he was another leader or merely protection. Standing on an elevated position was a giant of a man in blackened armour. As they all spoke, Lyra realised the man was Kairos.

"Are you insane Kairos?" Majiya exclaimed. "That's one of the most heavily fortified sites under human control. If not THE most fortified."

"Hmmph. Nothing the humans put up could stop me." The Minotaur gloated.

Kairos looked at the Minotaur. "Quiet Logan." He ordered, his voice like the winds of death. He turned back to face Majiya. "I'm not insane, I know their strengths, and their weaknesses, and I have tailored my forces to suit. Not only that, through varied means I have stretched the human defenders so thin that there will be no way for them to amass a force in time."

_Like Windspire._ Lyra thought to herself. This Kairos knew what he was doing. Now she had to figure out what he was aiming for.

"Even so, do you really think you have the troops to pull this off?" Majiya asked.

Kairos nodded. "My forces, combined with your magical might and Logan's clan will be more than sufficient. Corvinus will be ours."

_CORVINUS!_ Lyra almost fell backwards. _They're going for the Corvinus Mine. If the Shadow got a hold of that the war would be over._ She began to back out of the chamber, she had to get this information to Gunther. Not looking where she was going and in a hurry to get out, her foot sunk into a puddle. The splash was loud enough to get the attention of the congregation, and within moments she was avoiding fireballs launched by both mages.

Running for her life now, Lyra could feel the heat from the magical onslaught and hear the thunderous footsteps of Logan as he pursued her. The concussion wave from one of the fireballs knocked her to the ground and gave Logan the opportunity to catch up. She managed to roll under the swing of his massive blade and seek shelter behind a stalagmite, though a second strike cut it down as though it were a blade of grass.

Desperate, Lyra concentrated on Logan's mind, tearing at it and disorienting him for a moment. Using this chance, she sliced his Achilles tendon, hobbling him and preventing him from pursuing her further. As Logan dropped to his knees, a thundercrack shattered the air and Lyra was blown backward by the lightning. Struggling to stand, Lyra reached into her pockets for her insurance policy. Throwing the smoke capsule on the ground as the mages moved forward to press the attack, the smoke obscured her just enough to cause the next lightning strike to go wide. Adrenalin kicking in, Lyra got to her feet and ran into the tunnels. With the pain from the lightning burns affecting her every movement, she repeatedly smashed herself against the tunnel walls as she fled. By the time she hit daylight there wasn't a single part of her body that wasn't cut and bleeding.

Not stopping, she half ran/half limped back to the road as fast as she could. It was there the wounds took their toll and she collapsed to the ground, unable to continue. The pain overtook her and Lyra lost consciousness.

* * *

"Miss? Miss?"

Lyra's eyes opened to the sight of an old man shaking her awake. She was in the back of a trader's caravan as it moved down the road. "What… what happened?" She muttered weakly.

"I found you on the side of the road." He replied, voice filled with concern. "You looked like you'd been attacked by bandits. Are you alright?"

Lyra propped herself up on her elbows, the pain shooting through her back as she did so. "I've been better." She said through clenched teeth.

"I need to get you to a healer." The trader said. "You need a priest."

"No. Windspire. Get me to Windspire."


	13. The Back Foot

**The Back Foot**

A weak knock on the front door to Windspire Palace caught Lance's attention. Opening the door, the broken and bleeding form of Lyra Blackrose collapsed into his arms.

Lance's cry echoed through the palace. "Zhanna! Help!"

* * *

Gunther practically fell into his chair as he put his head in his hands. "Corvinus." he muttered. Lance and Amber bore similar expressions to their general. Corvinus was home to the largest Shadow Crystal mine in the known world, and supplied most of the Human Alliance. Without it the war was lost, as the human defenders could never match the monsters of the Shadow without the magic of the Crystals.

"Yes my Lord." Lyra replied, grateful to be standing. She was on death's door only an hour and a half ago. "And judging by the intelligence we have on Ter… I mean, Kairos' forces, he has almost enough to manage it alone. With Majiya's faction and Logan's clan, he has us at a supreme disadvantage."

"So let me get this straight. We have been led around like dogs on a leash for the better part of the last month, spreading our forces thinner and thinner. All the while a Shadow leader we didn't even know existed has been preparing to take the world's largest Crystal deposit right out from under our noses? And he is ready to do it at this very moment?"

Gunther slammed his fist on the desk, causing the other occupants of the room to jump. "Why are we only finding out about this NOW?!"

Lance frowned. "I have no excuses my Lord, Kairos has been ahead of us the entire time. But if we move now we should be able to reinforce Corvinus. They already have an impressive standing army."

"I'm sending a messenger on ahead to notify Nishaven. He should be there within the next day or two, and hopefully give him enough warning to seal the city. Meanwhile I'll get everyone ready and begin moving to Corvinus. We'll come at them from behind and force them to fight on two fronts." He pointed his finger at Lyra, Lance and Amber. "You three get the fastest horses you can and get moving. I want you there helping to coordinate the defenders."

He stared at the three of them. "Well what are you waiting for? MOVE IT."

* * *

Amber was still recovering from her wounds, and riding on a horse did little to help, the jarring motion of the galloping steed sending slivers of pain through her body constantly. Looking over at Lyra, Amber could tell she was experiencing the same thing.

"What I wouldn't give for one of Eladwen's portals." Amber groaned as more pain shot through her back.

Lance, who was riding on ahead, slowed his horse down to bring him in line with the two women. "Me too, but unfortunately she's on another front and none of the mages at Windspire have the necessary knowledge." He frowned. "And I thought it was an easy incantation, because Eladwen tended to throw them around like candy."

"I think our war mages are just not trained in their use." Lyra grunted. "Their knowledge is a little more 'direct'."

"Yeah, face burning." Lance replied. "Doesn't help us right now though does it?" He looked at Amber's face and the expression of pain on it. "Do you need to stop for a bit?"

"There's no time. I'll be fine."

"Lyra? Are you gonna be ok?"

"Just ride." Was the response.

"Ok then."

* * *

Two hours later Amber lay down on the cool grass, grateful to have a quick rest. While both her and Lyra were adamant they could continue, Lance had forced them to stop when Lyra had almost fallen off her horse. And although she maintained that tough exterior, it was obvious Lyra wanted a rest as much as Amber did.

Lance got some water out of the carry pouches on his horse and handed them around. "Drink up; we've still got a long way to go."

Guzzling down her ration, Amber looked at Lance as he sat down next to her. "How do you think this one is going to pan out?"

Lance smiled. "We survived the rebirth of an ancient god and the mixing of two realities. We'll be fine."

Amber laughed, though it sounded more like a cough. "Seriously though, this is the battle to determine the war. You know that."

"Yeah. We'll make it; I've not been beaten yet."

"You only have to get beaten once." Lyra interrupted.

Lance shook his head. "You are such a downer Lyra Blackrose."

"Someone has to keep that cheery optimism of yours in check." She replied dryly.

Lance frowned and looked down at his feet. He sighed, looking as though he had aged fifty years in a mere moment. "You've got to be optimistic sometimes; otherwise the world will swallow you whole."

Lyra sighed. "Sorry Lance. I didn't mean…."

Lance smiled and looked up, and that carefree façade had returned. "It's fine. Now, we've got a city to get to and a world to save."

* * *

Nishaven stood at the peak of the _Collegia Arcanus_, looking outward toward the horizon. Behind him lay the Corvinus Mine, the workers toiling day and night to bring enough Shadow Crystals to the front line to keep humanity in the fight. While great heroes like Gunther, Boris Skullcrusher and Gwenneth Truesight fought the enemy face to face, these humble workers kept the cogs of war turning with their blood, sweat and tears. These were the unsung heroes, the ones who kept humanity from being swallowed by the darkness.

But unfortunately the darkness had found Corvinus. In front of him the largest Shadow army he had ever seen had laid siege to the city. Monsters so tall they dominated the landscape, and a near endless sea of smaller creatures, all eager for blood and power. Gunther's warning had reached Nishaven barely twelve hours before the Shadow army had appeared, and that told him that whoever the leader of this army was, he had well and truly outwitted the famed General of Balor. That was a scary thing in and of itself.

At least the warning had been enough for him to close the gates and reinforce the walls. But as the Shadow army began to move forward, he feared it would not be enough...


	14. Betrayal and Salvation

**Betrayal and Salvation**

Kairos stood tall at the head of his army, his massive broadsword drawn and eager to taste blood. He pointed to the city, and despite his voice being barely a whisper every member of his army heard the command:

"Wipe them out. All of them."

* * *

"We're too late." Lyra whispered as they crested the hill. Ahead of them lay the massive city of Corvinus, its trio of ramparts dominating the landscape, yet rapidly falling to the Shadow assault. Giant Behemoths fired bolts of pure energy at the city, each impact leaving massive craters in the defensive line. It would not be long before the Shadow would be able to push through to the second ring of defences.

Lance swore under his breath. "Gunther's probably still a half a day away. Regardless we need to get in there."

"How? The entire city is surrounded!" Amber exclaimed. "We'd need a massive hole in the Shadow's forces to even make it to the walls, and then find a way through. There's no way they'll just…" Lance climbed off his horse. "What are you doing?"

"You'll see." Lance replied. "Lyra, if you will."

Lyra nodded, dismounted, and closed her eyes. After a few moments a small portal opened up in front of them and Lance and Lyra nonchalantly walked through. Flabbergasted, Amber hurriedly got off her horse and followed.

"Hang on, if you can make portals, WHY for the love of all things holy were we on horseback for the last day and a half?!" Amber exclaimed as she stepped through, finding herself on top of a massive spire.

"I didn't make it." Lyra shrugged, pointing to the robed man watching the battle not more than five metres from them. "He did."

Amber looked at the man, then back at Lyra. "So what…"

"I just asked him, that's all."

The man turned and addressed the three of them. "My name is Nishaven, Grand Master of Corvinus' _Collegia Arcanus_." He looked at Lyra. "You need to work on your technique, you were very loud."

"Apologies, Grand Master." Lyra replied solemnly. "I will tone it down in the future."

Nishaven nodded. Amber was surprised at how calm he seemed, despite the battle raging all around him. "I appreciate Gunther sending you on ahead, yet I fail to see how the three of you will make any lasting impact on the battle."

"We're here to help your captains coordinate the defence." Lance explained. "Plus assist in any other way possible."

"Very well, I shall notify Aldon and the other captains. If you coordinate the south, east and western lines, it shall leave me free to concentrate on the bulk of the assault to the north." Nishaven stated.

Lance nodded. "Very well." He turned to the two women. "Okay, one wall each. I'll take the south, Amber the east. Lyra, you're on the west, and I want you to keep us in contact at all times, that way we can more rapidly share defences if one side needs reinforcing."

As soon as Lance had finished four small portals opened up in front of them, each facing a different direction. Nishaven nodded and they all stepped through to face the oncoming horde.

* * *

Despite the best efforts of the human defenders, the Shadow forces were implacable in their advance. They breached the first ring of ramparts within two hours, the Plasma Behemoths and Molten Destroyers of the Shadow army tearing them down with energy, fire, or their bare claws. Void Leviathans formed out of thin air, electrocuting the human defenders before disappearing, only to attack somewhere else, growing stronger each time. And whenever a gap in the ramparts was formed by the larger monsters, hordes of Flayers, Gargoyles, Marauders and countless other smaller beasts surged through to butcher the humans in hand to hand combat.

The humans on the other hand never faltered, never gave an inch without selling their lives dearly. From the veterans to the freshest conscript, each knew the importance of this battle and each fought with grim determination and staunch resolve. For a time, the martial skill of Amber and the cunning tactics of Lance and Lyra held back the hordes; and each reaped more than their fair share of Shadow skulls. But it was not enough. It was never enough. Even the intense magical onslaught of Nishaven, visible from wherever you were in the battle, could not stem the tide. The second ring of ramparts fell at dusk, and a whole new wave of horrors appeared.

The Wraiths of the Darkwood began snatching the defenders with such ferocity, such speed, that many soldiers simply fled from fear. They were almost impossible to defend against, striking anywhere, anytime. While the other forces of the Shadow rested in preparation for the next wave, the Wraiths kept the tired defenders of Corvinus on edge, preventing them from recovering their strength and pushing them to the very limits of their terror. But they were not the only things that went bump in the night.

The Death Collectors and the Magma Jackals instilled almost as much fear as the Wraiths, but for different reasons. The Death Collectors absorbed the souls of those fallen on both sides, boosting their vitality and their power, and it took many soldiers to even combat a single one. The Jackals were ticking time bombs, charging at the human lines with wild abandon, which gave the defenders a horrible choice. Destroy them and have them explode on death, spraying the lava in their blood over all in the vicinity, or leave them to run amok through their lines. To counter these beasts, Lance cleverly had a war mage installed in every squad, to destroy the Jackals at range. In response, Kairos just sent more of them.

Come the morning, and many of Corvinus' army had not slept, they were tired and stretched to breaking point. The Shadow on the other hand were refreshed and invigorated, having slept and feasted during the night. They surged forward and began cutting down the beleaguered defenders with renewed ferocity. It would not be long before the final rampart fell. But the sound of cavalry indicated vengeance was at hand.

Gunther's troops stormed over the hill, the famous Riders of Ellos taking point and smashing into the back of the unprepared Shadow forces. Thousands of foot soldiers followed, ordered into phalanxes. Spearmen of the Yari, Barbarians of the Gaderi tribes, and the loyalist Braxnorians pressed forward, and pinned the Shadow between them and the defenders of Corvinus. Forced to fight on two fronts, the Shadow took time to reorganise, and that time cost them in blood. Yet blood was something that they had an unlimited supply of.

Despite this setback, Kairos showed he was a master general and maintained discipline, allowing the Shadow to begin to push back the second wave of troops. He also had a surprise of his own, Rust Weevils began bursting out of the ground in the middle of the human lines, corroding and destroying armour and weapons with their breath and touch. Gunther's troops fought on, but it soon became clear to all that it was not going to be enough. As he called the retreat, Gunther was struck down by Kairos, who had taken advantage of the general's momentary distraction. As Gunther fell the resolve of his troops fell with him, and they fled the battle in droves. The Shadow forces did not let them, hunting down and tearing apart the humans in cold blood. As the Corvinus defenders watched this grisly display, they knew all hope was lost. Nishaven called a retreat to the entrance of the mine for a last ditch defence. If they could funnel the Shadow into a single killing zone, their numbers would mean little and Corvinus may yet triumph.

With the humans retreating as fast as they could, the Shadow attempted to halt their progress before they reached the mine. The massive monsters smashed through the ramparts into the city, or in the case of the Void Leviathans, simply appeared behind them. They cut down hundreds of fleeing troops without pity or mercy. As the Shadow horde approached the mine, victory was assured.

* * *

Gorgus moved forward with the rest of Majiya's faction as they closed on the mine, though he was constantly knocked around by those Shadow forces more eager to kill than he was. He had done his part, launching magical assaults at the humans as was expected of him, yet every time he ended the life of another his mind flashed back to that fateful day when his sight was restored. But his atonement was at hand.

Gorgus began muttering the incantation, and slowly power began to find its way to his body, enveloping him, infusing his very soul. With each second passing he grew brighter and more powerful. In the last moment before he unleashed the Supernova he could see Majiya realise what he was doing, and the look of horror on her face as she began to run.

It was a fitting end.

* * *

The explosion rocked the Shadow army, engulfing hundreds of their troops. Kairos spun around to survey the damage. While it was a clever ploy, he still had more than enough of a force to take Corvinus. He turned back to order his troops to press forward, but a searing pain stopped him in his tracks. Looking down he saw a sword embedded in his flank, wedged between the segments of his armour. Tarick forced the sword further into Kairos' body and he groaned in agony, before the tip of the blade punctured his heart. As Kairos hit the ground dead, Tarick smirked.

"Sorry my Lord, but this is business."

* * *

Like the humans, the death of their leader had a profound effect on the Shadow. Seeing that Kairos had fallen, the remaining captains began to quarrel over who would succeed him, and those quarrels broke into all out fighting. With the Shadow army disorganised, the defenders of Corvinus lunged forward to take advantage. They exacted their vengeance on the Shadow with steel. Lyra contacted the surviving troops from Gunther's army and they surged back through the ramparts, striking the Shadow from behind once more. The Shadow still vastly outnumbered the Corvinus defenders, but without cohesion they could not fight in more than small groups, and they began to be pushed back.

For the first time in the battle, the Shadow forces felt fear. But no one instilled more terror in them than Amber Rain. She was a dervish of destruction, a bladed hurricane that spun and twirled through the battle. Her swords glowed with eldritch power, Crystals from the Corvinus Mine infusing them with arcane energy. She continued her deadly dance as she pressed further into the enemy hordes, every swing from her swords finding its mark, and every strike taking another life.

Only when faced with an oncoming Behemoth did she take pause, albeit for the briefest of moments. She ran at it and the Behemoth launched plasma in response, but the monster was unable to hit the lithe warrior. As she came within range, she sliced through the monster's foot with her blades, causing it to drop to one knee. Roaring in agony, it swung at her, but Amber easily avoided the attack and severed its other foot, forcing it to support itself on its hands. Now defenceless, the Behemoth could do nothing as Amber forced her enchanted blades through its blackened heart, a great cheer erupting from the human defenders as she did so.

This impossible act filled the hearts of the human defenders with renewed purpose and determination. Employing similar tactics they began to take a toll on the heavy artillery of the Shadow forces, and those they could not fell with tactics, Nishaven brought low with brute force. Whilst he had been calm during the early stages of the battle, he was now fury incarnate, fire and lighting incinerating all that stood against him. To try and save themselves, the Shadow launched a last ditch effort to overwhelm the Grand Master with sheer numbers. Nishaven's response split the heavens, the maelstrom of lightning arcing through the Shadow horde and burning them to cinders in a violent display of divine retribution. His fury was such that even the twin pronged assault of Majiya and Gravebone could not halt his advance.

The Shadow's time was up, and they knew it. Without a cohesive leadership and against the renewed vigour of the humans, they had no chance. The remaining captains ordered the retreat, and the horde began to flow out of the city like a tide retreating back into the oceans. The humans gave chase until they were beyond the city walls, then settled in place to prevent further loss of life, and to begin the long process of clean up and rebuilding. They had done the impossible.

They had saved Corvinus.

* * *

Amber sat amongst the ruins of a household as the clean-up slowly but surely progressed around her. After the Shadow had retreated the strain of the last 36 hours had taken its toll, and she had collapsed from exhaustion. At first the fear was that she had taken a mortal wound in the battle. However the attending priests and healers had confirmed it was simply fatigue, and she had been moved away from the front lines for a well-deserved rest.

In the distance she could hear Nishaven addressing the surviving troops, congratulating them on their efforts and reiterating the sheer importance of this day. Even as far away as she was, his booming oratory filled her with pride, and she was glad to have done her part. Maybe now the ghosts of the past would forgive her.

A familiar figure in black made his way over, Lance smiling with pride and relief as he sat down. "You know you're going down in history don't you? Amber vs the Behemoth."

Amber smiled. "I just did what I had to."

"I think you did much more than that." Lance replied. "Even now Nish is calling your actions nothing short of legendary."

"Really? I should be over there." Amber remarked sarcastically, though she couldn't deny it made her feel good. "Anything else worth listening to?"

"Nothing much, something about so few, so many, blah blah blah. I've never been big on speeches."

"Do we know what happened with Kairos?" Amber asked. "Who got to him?"

"It wasn't one of us, one of his mercenary bodyguards turned on him." Lance replied. "We found the guy in one of the buildings after the battle, calmly cleaning his sword. An old warrior named Tarick."

"Change of heart huh?" Amber said.

"He said it was just business." Lance replied. "I have no idea who brokered a deal with him though; it certainly wasn't one of our people."

"What about that explosion?"

Lance nodded. "Yeah, that was one of mine. Poor guy perished in the blast though. I get the feeling he wanted it that way."

"Well, seems like luck smiled on us today." Amber replied as she lay back.

Lance did the same, finding himself staring at the buildings opposite. Standing on top of the rooftops was a young woman in a black jumpsuit, overlooking the clean-up efforts. As she turned to face him, Lance could see the whip at her belt, and she gave Lance a small salute before moving out of sight. "Yes, yes it did." He whispered.

* * *

Two days later the clean-up in Corvinus was well underway. Lance had taken up accommodation in one of the surviving hotels, all expenses paid by Nishaven. Lyra and Amber had also been given similar lodgings, in return for their efforts and their continued help in rebuilding Corvinus. Lance rolled out of the overly opulent bed in response to a knock on the door. _Probably my breakfast. Nish certainly knows how to look after people._

He opened the door to the sight of a pretty young waitress holding a hot breakfast of bacon, sausages and eggs. She put the meal down on the table and headed out the door without a word, though she did give Lance a little smile over her shoulder before leaving. Smiling to himself, Lance sat down to the hot meal before what would be a hard day's work.

About to tuck in, he almost didn't notice the envelope under his plate. Inside was a message written in a very neat hand:

_Lance,_

_Just a friendly note to see how you are. I'm glad you made it out alive, I must admit even I was concerned that there wouldn't be a Corvinus at the end of it, despite my _insurance policy_. Take care and I'll see you around. S._

_P.S: I've got to say, you and Amber would make a cute couple._

_P.P.S: You owe me 400 gp._

Lance grinned and quickly finished his meal. Grabbing his gear, he headed out to the clean-up.

And maybe meet up with Amber along the way.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Wow, this is some prime real estate." Ka'thax exclaimed in that horrid gravelly voice of his, the fact that he was so excited only making it sound worse. Lyra couldn't help but cringe when he started talking again, his eyes wide with excitement. "How'd you find this place?"

Lyra grimaced as she looked at all the broken stalagmites, lingering evidence of her battle for survival here. "Let's just say it was serendipity."

"I have no idea what that word means, but this place is great!" Ka'thax beamed. He turned to Lyra. "Thank you Lyra Blackrose, maybe your kind aren't so bad after all."

Lyra couldn't help but let a little smile escape her lips. "Good to hear. Just stick to hunting animals for food and sport. Or I may have to visit you again."

"Rest assured, I'm tired of the fighting. You may not believe it, but just like your kind not all the Shadow were made to be warriors." Ka'thax replied. "We have a society too, such as it is. But in this world you only get to see the armies."

"Really?" Lyra was genuinely surprised. For some reason the idea that the Shadow had anything beyond the love of violence didn't occur to her. "One day you'll have to tell me about it."

"Maybe one day I will." Ka'thax replied. "I'll be seeing you around I suppose?"

"Possibly. Goodbye Ka'thax." Lyra said as she walked out. After she had left Ka'thax took a deep breath in and surveyed his new home.

_First order of business, a bed._ Ka'thax mused. _Then lunch._

* * *

Lance knelt down in front of the tombstone at the end of his mother's grave, touching the top of it gently and biting back the tears. He remembered she was so angry with him when he left for the big city, because she knew what he would become. And she was right. He'd been a scoundrel for a long time, a thief and a womaniser. Rogues were folk legends, the dashing anti-hero that spat in the face of authority, stole from the rich, and always got the girl. And he was damn good at it.

Fast forward a decade, and that fateful day when his mother was taken from him, killed in one of the hundreds of forgotten Shadow attacks since the war began. She had been in the field, toiling away at the crops when the Gargoyles had attacked the village, for no reason other than sport and bloodlust. Even now, the sight of one of those monstrosities brought his blood to the boil. He was grateful it was Lyra on the rooftop that night as he would never have bargained with Ka'thax, and he knew deep down Corvinus would've been lost because of it.

But the death of his mother changed something in him, had given him the desire to make her proud of him. Her death was the very reason he started work with the Human Alliance, first with Serena, then with Gunther once the Alliance had become a cohesive army. He knew that without that push, he would still be cutting purse-strings and getting wasted in bars. It didn't make the pain any more bearable however.

The cheerful exterior he always presented was merely a defence mechanism. The life of a soldier was a thousand times harder than the life of a rogue, and he had always refused to make it worse by getting really close to people. Of course he had friends, they were needed to bring in the good times, but he had refused to truly care about someone. Lyra had been the closest person to him, like a sister really. Until now.

"Hey, are you ok?" Amber asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. She was dressed in a full length gown, the edges of which were getting filthier by the second standing in the cemetery. Lance himself was dressed in his finest gear, which honestly wasn't saying much.

He placed his hand on hers. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied as he stood up. The fact that Amber was willing to come here before their dinner spoke volumes about her, and how well she complemented him. Deep down she was the same as him, appearances to her were less important than what was inside. It had been three months now since Corvinus, and they'd been among the best three months of his life, due to Amber. She had made him feel like he was worth it, ironically without doing anything at all.

"We should go. I don't want that dress to get any filthier." Lance stated, looking at her. "You look beautiful."

"You don't scrub up so badly yourself." Amber replied, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Now, I'm getting hungry."

Lance smiled and led her out of the cemetery. "You'll love this place; they do the best pheasant you'll ever eat."

As the two lovers made their way down the street, Clarissa looked on from the shadows, the desire for vengeance burning in her infernal soul.

* * *

"Careful!" Gravebone hissed at his husks as they dragged the giant carcass over to the altar, its armour clanking on the stone floor. They rather unceremoniously dropped it once they reached their destination then shuffled off.

Gravebone shook his head from frustration. He really needed to put more effort into his 'creations', but it required too many resources. Besides, those two husks were veterans of Ravendark hurriedly resurrected in the heat of battle, so Gravebone was surprised they were still functioning at all. "Tyrell?" he called out.

A healthier looking husk made its way over to Gravebone. Tyrell was also from the time of Ravendark, however as he was meant to be an envoy and personal servant of Gravebone, more of those aforementioned resources had gone into his resurrection. "What can I do you for sir?" He asked cheerfully.

"The chalice, if you will." Gravebone stated, and spinning on his back foot Tyrell went to retrieve it. _He was entirely too happy about being dead, that one._ Gravebone mused. The thing with resurrection was that the more time, care and resources that went into it, the more of the subject's personality and faculties returned with their body. Tyrell had been a happy soul in life, so it made a sick kind of sense that he was happy in death too.

Tyrell returned with the chalice. "Here you are sir." He said, handing it to his master before looking down at the corpse. "He's a big one, are you going to need more?"

"This should suffice." Gravebone replied. "I will need the crystals laid out around him though. Thirty will be enough."

Tyrell blinked. "That's a lot of power. You want to bring him back whole?"

"Almost whole." Gravebone stated. "Grab the crystals."

Tyrell did as he was asked and before long the altar was prepared. Gravebone gingerly lifted the helmet of the corpse and poured the contents of the Chalice into its mouth, a disgusting mix of gold, silver, sulphur and various other powdered minerals suspended in the blood of a human sacrifice. But this concoction was missing one crucial ingredient, the one connected to memory. When this corpse awoke, he would not remember a thing about his life. Satisfied, Gravebone began the incantation.

The crystals surrounding the altar flickered with light as they amplified Gravebone's magic, channelling it into the corpse, imbuing it with unholy vitality. For a minute there was nothing, but then the corpse began to convulse, the concoction in its mouth forced down into its gullet. With a start the corpse sat up, a slight groan leaving its lips. It had worked.

Kairos belonged to Gravebone now.


End file.
